Excretion of Uranium by Rats Following Inhalation of Uranium Dioxide

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Abstract
Rats were exposed to an aerosol of uranium dioxide (5 mgU/m3) for periods of 17–140 days. Twenty-four hours after termination of exposure, the respiratory tract concentrations varied from 45 to 410 μgU/g depending on the exposure time. Biological half times for respiratory tract retention, based on a single exponential expression were 141, 169, 239 and 289 days for exposure times of 17, 20, 58 and 140 days, respectively, A fit of the retention data to the power function (y = At−k) was also obtained by computer analysis. Significant amounts of uranium were excreted in the urine and feces only during the first month after exposure.